The Osceola times., 1887-03-19

There are three great systems Of re.
ligion known in China: the Confu-
clan, the Buddhist, and the Taoist. OF
these, the ilrst-Confucianism-teaches
the worship of heaven, that is, the vs-
bic heayen-the sky-as the source of
light, heat and moisture; the worship
of ancestors and of Confucius. But
heaven and ancestor-worship were
practiced long before the days Of Con-
fucus. who did not originate, but
adopted them. Indeed, ancestor-wor-
ship is universal in China; Buddhist,
and raoists, as well as the followers of
Confuoius, practice t. All members
of the literary or student class and
all officials are required TO be Confu-
cianists.
The Confucian system allows no
place in its ritual, or service, for wo-
men or children, who never worship in
or enter the temples. The great CEN
trail building of this cult is the magnid-
cent Temple of Heaven" at Peking.
in which the Emperor of China, as the
"Son of Heaven" is the only priest. A
very serious punishment would be
inflicted upon any one who should
carry a female infant within the park
which surrounds this sacred edifice.
The Taoists, few in number. have
many gods, like the ancient Greeks
and Romans. They worship the gods
of the wind, rain, thunder, lightning,
fire; Of the rivers. springs, lakes and
watcr-couses; Of the hills and the
mountains. These are represented in
their temples, not by idols. but by
tablets s''-s,rips of wood two or thres
feet long and as many inches wide
upon the face of which are inscriptions
like this: "Sarred to the spirit aud in
Nniciblc majestyiof the God of the Light
ming"
buddhism is the popular religion of
the Chinese. 1t embraces majority
of the men, and all the women and
children. The Taoists often call it,
sneerngly, foreign religion. This is
true, as Buddhism was introduced into
China from India about nineteen hum
dred years AGO
There is a legend among the Chinese
that at about the time of the birth of
Christ the Emperor had a strange
dream. often repeated. in which spirit
told him that in the West the founder
OF a new and true religion would
shortly appear, and that this new faith
would overshadow and conquer the
whole earth. He was urged to send
his wisest men to seek out the founder
of this new faith. and to introduce it
into his Empire. The Emperor was
greatly moved by this dream. and, be-
cause of It, did send commission of
high officers of state in search of the
new religion. They went into India,
there found Buddhism, and brought it
back with them. Fragments Of other
forms of worship arc to be found in
China. But the mass of tho Chinese
people is distributed between the three
systems of religion first named.
1t must not be supposed that the di-
vision between them is as plain and
clearly marked rs it is between diller-
ent denominations of the Protestant
Church. 1t is quite n common thing
for man to wors ip in the temples OF
all three systems. He acts upon the
principe that none of them will do him
any hacm; and he is not quite sure
which eau do him most good. The fu-
neral ceremonies of all classes of Chi
nesc contains certain parts conducted
by Buddhist priests. certain parts con-
Quoted by Taoist priests, while rites
peculiar to tho Confucian system are
never omitted.
The Emperor himself, who is the
high, and only, priest of Confucianism,
visits Buddhist and Taoist temples, and
supports large number of their tenn
pies and priests. But in his case line
is drawn. He ioorships in Confucian
temples; he only patronires the gods Of
Buddhism or Taolsm. That is, he
kneels and knocks his head upon the
ground before the tablet of Confucius,
but never kncels before Q Buddhist
image, OF q Taoist shrine.